1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for making a coated food product having a heat susceptible coating, and more specifically to a coated food center having a proteinaceous or fruit-based coating.
2. Description of Related Art
Coated nut-based foods are typically made from a process known as panning. Panning is the stacking of layers of one material onto another. Panning one food product with another food product is well known in the art. Typically a nut or fruit is placed in a batch tumbler and is coated with a slurry. Next a solid is introduced into the tumbler. The solid adheres to the slurry, forming a layer. Then more slurry is added followed by subsequent solids. More layers are added by repeating the process of adding slurry and then adding solids.
Today many candy manufacturers employ panning to produce a variety of products. For example, panning is used with hard sugar to produce jawbreakers, and jelly beans are produced with soft sugar panning.
Panning has likewise been widely used in the nut industry. Manufacturers use panning to add coatings to nuts and fruits that deliver indulgent flavors and textures. One method of panning is hot panning which produces pralines and French nuts. Another method is chocolate panning which results in chocolate covered fruits or nuts. Finally, many manufacturers employ starch panning wherein a starch/flour mixture is used to coat the nuts. The nuts are then usually subsequently fried.
Nuts and fruit-based snack foods are desired by many consumers because many consumers tend to choose snack foods which are considered healthier and/or more natural. While many food products have centers, such as nuts, that many consumers deem to be natural and healthy, many covered nut products are coated with ingredients that some consumers may deem as highly processed and/or unhealthy, such as chocolate. Consequently, a need exists for a coated food product having a coating that is deemed to be healthier than prior art coatings.
One problem with using healthier coatings, such as coatings having relatively high levels of protein, is that the cooking required to eliminate the beany flavor of the underlying center, such as a peanut, scorches the protein-based coating. To remove the beany flavor, many nuts must be cooked for a long period of time to a moisture content of less than about 2% by weight. Consequently, such long cooking time is detrimental to any heat susceptible coating.
One solution to such problem is to add a browning-retarding agent to minimize or reduce such browning. However, such additives are typically undesirable by the same group of consumers who desire healthier, more natural food products.
Another solution to this problem is to par-roast nuts. Thus, peanuts having a native moisture content of about 6% about 7% are par-roasted to a moisture content of 3% to 4% instead of being fully cooked to a moisture content of less than 2% by weight. Such solution, however, results in the peanut splitting into two pieces, and such par-roasting has resulted in up to 51% of the par-roasted peanuts being split. Such splitting is undesirable because a successful panning operation is dependent upon geometric uniformity of the center. Split peanuts have both a flat surface along the split, and a round surface. Consequently, in the case of peanuts, the presence of splits can cause a variety of problems, including non-uniform cooking and baking, center agglomeration, and/or poor appearance. Many nuts, such as peanuts, require a sufficient cooking time to eliminate the raw and/or beany flavor. Further, because the peanuts are still not completely cooked in a par roasting scenario, any heat-sensitive coating will still scorch when the peanuts are cooked to a finished moisture content. Consequently, a need exists for a coated food product and method for making the same that comprises a coating that is made from a healthier, heat-susceptible coating. Further, it is desirable to have a coated food product comprising a proteinaceous or fruit-based coating. In one embodiment, the coated food product having the heat susceptible coating is made without the use of anti-browning agents or additives.